Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1887-05-13
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.

feScuLluB leuLeO Hc4ui WIN hdAOh-
/ ing troops aud the Washington Mon
ument looming up above all with
other shadows Of the coming event
liearound. Clerks are busy at work
at tables and in one corner the Com
mittee of Public Comfort has its
headquarters. Here a register is
kept OF rooms and beds available,
and other information that might
be Of use to persons visiting the
city during Drill week. The com.
mittee takes no note of the large
hotels, it seeks to provide for those
who cannot get into the hotels, or
who desire to live at less daily ex-
pense than is usual at hotels. At
the last inauguration this commit
tee did excellent work in hunting
places where accommodations could
be afforded strangers, and then in
viting correspondence with those
who wanted rooms and board, and
il has undertaken the same work
for the National Drill.
On the White Lot preparations
are going on foi the Drill and the
large camp. aground is being en-
closed. At the foot of the Wash
Ington Monument the troops of the
North and South will meet in fra
ternal spirit to vie for the honors
and prizes provided by the liberal
ity of the projectors of the under
taking. When the project OF hold
ing a National Drill here in May
was first preached last fall, it was
taken up at once by anumber OF en-
ergetic citizens who by their per
sonal influence and labors, and
their liberal subscriptions in money,
at once assured the success of the
whole affair. Committees were i'm
mediately organized, and steps
taken to assemble the flower of the
American National Guard in
"Camp George Washington
The purposes of the Drill were
set forth in a memorial to Congress.
1t said, "within the past ten years
interstate competitive drills Of the
volunteer soldiers of this country,
always with advantage to the drill,
discipline and morale of the militia,
and with increasing interest and
attention of the citizenship Of the
several States. The idea has fire.
duently been canvassed, and the
feeling over the Union has grown,
that a national competitive drill
and encampment at the National
Capital would not only collect a
larger body of representative sold
iers, but would be of more military
Importance and advantage from
the national character the event
would necessarily attain amid ma
tional surroundings ETC., etc.
As to the rules of the camp, all
commands, unless their entry is &C
cepted with a special exception to
the contrary, will be required to
enter camp ana remain during the
entire period OF the drill. The
Washington troops will form no
execution to this order. All COM
mands will besubject to camp guard
duty, daily dress parade, and to all
other rules promulgated by the
Commandant of the camp, Gen.
Anger. Tents, or barracks, and
straw for bed-sacks will be furnish
ed, but subsistence will not. There
will be a camp restaurant, at which
meals may be procured at a rate
fixed by the managing committee,
aud the keeper will be held to strict
accountability as to prices and
character of food, while companies
doing their own cooking will be
furnished with fuel aud with mess
quarters. The hospital and ambu'
lance departments of the drill will
be IN charge of the Red Cross socie.
. ".
The prizes are probably the
largest ever offered. For the best
Infantry, for instance, the first prize
+ is $4,000; second prize 1880; third
prize $1,000, fourth prize $1,000
fifth prize $500; total, 10000
, For the best company Of calvary
the first prize is $4,000; the second
800. Then there are prizes for
the best regiment Of infantry; for
the best battalion of infantry the
best platoon Of light artillery; ma
, chine guns the best zouave drill ;
, Cadet Corpse then there are the
prizes Tor rife practice and other in
. dlvidual prizes, such as for the best
, drilled soldier in the manual OF
g arms, competition restricted to not
! more than two members OF any one
company.
Among the attractions which will
be shown nightly on the drill
grounds is pyrOrama, represent
ing the naval battle in Hampton
roads, which ended with the mem-
, orable contest between the Monitor
and Merrimac. Unlike panO,
rama, the war vessels in this case
are seen moving about, guns are
fired, and the shock and fire of bat
tie are viyidly depicted. The yes
sells are made complete, are from
, forty TO fifty feet in length and in
! fhe perspectjve. look like ships OF